Prosecutors claimed in court Wednesday that the gunman in Monday's massacre at a Fourth of July celebration in the Illinois community of Highland Park acknowledged carrying out the assault, which killed seven people and injured scores more.
Robert Crimo III Held Without Bail
During a virtual bail hearing, Robert E. Crimo III, 21, Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon, the suspect told officials in a voluntary statement that he looked down his sights, aimed, and started to fire on paradegoers, emptying two 30-round magazines before loading a third and firing again.
Crimo was granted a public lawyer and is scheduled to appear in court again on July 28. According to investigators, the gunman began to fire from a rooftop on a Highland Park company just after 10 am CT on Monday. Investigators suspect Crimo disguised himself as a woman and used cosmetics to conceal his tattoos. According to Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokeswoman Chris Covelli, he exited the roof and mixed in with the fleeing throng, as per CNN.
During the eight-hour manhunt, police say the suspect stopped to meet an acquaintance before driving two and a half hours to Madison, Wisconsin, where he considered carrying out another assault when he noticed a huge crowd. Another pistol and roughly 60 rounds of ammo were in the car with him. CBS News acquired a photograph of the pistol found in the vehicle.
As per the Illinois State Police, the suspected gunman passed four background checks in 2020 and 2021 while amassing a five-gun armory. After the suspect's father signed a permission paper, the first one was acquired.
Despite two incidents with police in 2019 involving threats of violence against himself or family members, as well as a series of unsettling social media posts, his parents' counsel claims there were no red flags, CBS News reported.
Highland Park Shooting Suspect's Weapons Sponsored by His Father
Prosecutors stated on Wednesday that 83 expended shot casings and rifle magazines were retrieved from the shooting site. The new information comes as concerns are being raised about how the suspect obtained firearms.
He passed background checks aimed at keeping potentially violent people from purchasing guns, despite having previously made threats that were reported to authorities. Three other guns were discovered at his residence. Despite having two prior interactions with law enforcement, the defendant obtained five firearms in the previous year, according to police.
One week after allegedly attempting to take his own life, police were summoned to the suspect's residence in April 2019. In September 2019, a family member reported him to police after he made violent threats to murder everyone. Police were called, and 16 knives, a dagger, and a sword were taken from his residence. He was not arrested, and no other action was taken against him.
In a different and more recent instance, Crimo allegedly acted suspiciously during a Passover visit to a nearby synagogue in April. According to The Forward, a Jewish news organization, a volunteer security coordinator believes the suspect was sizing up the facility before leaving without incident.
As reported by Illinois state police, the suspect's father supported his application for a gun license in December 2001, when he was just 19 years old. In a statement to the Chicago Sun, his uncle refuted this.
Illinois is one of 19 states in the United States that have so-called red flag laws to keep weapons out of the hands of persons who may be a risk to themselves or others. According to BBC, the Highland Park shooting demonstrates that comparable laws are ineffectual.
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